August 25—Morning—Revelation 22:3, 4

"His servants shall serve him. And they shall see his face; and his name shall be on their foreheads."—Revelation 22:3, 4.

Take note of these characteristics, my soul. Jesus has servants, and they are distinguished from the world. They "serve him." What does it mean to serve Christ? The prophet has described it. Free grace has made them servants by bringing them from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God; and therefore he says, in the Lord's name, "My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be ashamed; my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but you shall cry for sorrow of heart." How distinct these characteristics are! God's servants have the table of Jesus to sit down to—the bread of life, the bread of God, the living bread, which is Jesus himself, to feed upon. They shall drink also, for he who is their living bread is their living water as well—even the water of life, of which whoever drinks shall thirst no more; "but it shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life."

The servants of the Lord shall also rejoice and sing for joy of heart. Yes, "the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." And this is not all. The servants of the Lord shall "see his face." They do now, by faith in his word, in his ordinances, in his manifestations, visits, and grace through his providences. And soon, when this veil that covers all people is completely removed at death, they shall have a glorious view of the King in his beauty by sight. Moreover, his name is said to be "on their foreheads." Yes, it is so; the image of Christ is impressed upon them, just as "Holiness to the Lord" was engraved on the mitre of Aaron. "Beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, they are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

My soul, what do you say to these evidences? Are they yours? Can you take comfort in them for yourself?

August 25—Evening—Acts 16:13

"And on the Sabbath, we went out of the city by the riverside, where prayer was customarily made."—Acts 16:13.

What, had they no church, no synagogue, no prayer house in the city? Was it like another Athens, wholly given to idolatry? My soul, consider your privileges and learn to rightly value and use them to the glory of the great Giver. It was "on the Sabbath." What a mercy to poor fallen humanity is the Sabbath! And yet, how many multitudes disregard, despise, and never benefit from it! My soul, reflect again on this blessing and bow down in the deepest humility of soul and body, grateful that the Sabbath is precious to you. "Who made you to differ from another?" Before long, you will enter into the everlasting Sabbath of heaven.

There is something very interesting in what the apostle says here about going out "by the riverside." Perhaps it was in recollection of the church in Babylon, where the people were captives, that the Lord made the river Chebar famous for visions to one prophet and Hiddekel to another. But blessed be God, though our land is so sinful, we are not given up to captivity; and while many of the nations around have their churches turned into stables amidst the din and horrors of war, our candlestick is not yet removed from its place.

Precious Jesus, wherever prayer is customarily made by your people, let my soul delight to be found there. Let me hear your voice inviting me to communion: "Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon." Yes, Lord, I would follow the Lamb wherever he goes. I would follow you to the assemblies of your people. I would wait to see the goings of my God and King in his sanctuary. I would have my whole soul thirst for you, as the deer for the cooling streams. And while I join your people in the great congregation, where prayer is customarily made, I pray for your grace and the influences of your blessed Spirit to ignite my soul with foretastes of that glorious assembly above, where they are keeping an eternal Sabbath, and where the everlasting praises of God and of the Lamb will fill my raptured soul with joy unspeakable and full of glory for all eternity.

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Source:The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portion by Robert Hawker (today's blog post lightly modernized by Monergism)